With a Little Help from My Friends
by IceK7-1
Summary: We all know that having good friends can get you through anything, right?


_**Author's Note:**__ I'm currently working on a few shorties, because I just don't have time to work on my larger story. You would think that three shorties added together will be just as hard as one long chapter, but surprisingly, it's not. I think it has something to do with not having your mind strained on one specific thing._

_**Disclaimer:**_ _The characters of Naruto are not mine. They're the property of Masashi Kishimoto. I do not, and never will, make any money from this story. _

_**Genre:**__ Friendship_

_**Rating: **__T _

_**Characters: **__Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura and Ino_

_**Setting:**__ Ninja-verse_

_**Words:**__ 5,543_

Sakura sat alone at a table, trying to look casual and collected. She was dressed in a black yukata that was decorated with bright pink flowers, and emerald green leaves. Her hair and make-up was done flawlessly, and the geta on her feet were brand new. However, none of those items were being used in the manor she thought they would be, because unlike everyone else that was dancing, talking or eating, she was sitting in a dark corner, waiting on the Uchiha to arrive.

'Man, I'm such a fool. You'd think I'd have learned by now,' she thought as the obvious depression she felt began to show on her face. She didn't know how she had let herself backtrack so far, but once Sasuke returned to the village a few months ago, some of her old habits resurfaced. It started with her being distrustful of him, then that changed to genuine concern, before finally she considered him a treasured friend. No, she wasn't trying to be Mrs. Uchiha anymore, but she did think that she was closer to him than any other girl.

'Who am I kidding? I should have known he wasn't going to show up to something like this. I should have been prepared,' she chided herself as she thought about the other guys that had asked to be her date. This only caused her mood to darken further as she remembered how she and Ino rekindled their old rivalry. Sure, it was much friendlier than before, but it didn't change their intense desire to one-up the other.

"_I've filled out much more than you did, Sakura. Every guy in the village wants me," Ino bragged as she flipped her ponytail over her shoulder. She was a lot more modest than she let on, but she couldn't miss an opportunity to rile her old friend._

"_Oh please, all you did was get fat. I'm lean and fit. Besides, I can think of at least one guy who doesn't want you," Sakura announced with a proud smirk. Ino looked scandalized for a second, before a condescending grin took over. She knew that Sakura had no clue how many men had hit on her over the years. Hell, her list even included a few sensei. So, she was ready to prove the other girl wrong._

"_Who?" she challenged as she leaned in a bit. Sakura looked at her intensely, before she leaned forward as well. _

"_Sasuke Uchiha," she smugly replied as her eyes danced with confidence. She knew that he was the one guy that no girl could claim victory over. Ino may have had many men, but Sasuke was definitely not one of them. No one knew that more than Ino herself. _

"_Of course he's not interested! He's into guys, and I am very much female," she rebutted, before turning her nose up. Most people would have seen nothing but complete self-assurance, but Sakura always knew when the other girl was not happy. Her brow would crease ever so slightly, and her mouth would form a perfect pout. Ino was clearly pissed._

"_Ha! You just say that, because you know that you can't get him," Sakura exclaimed, before laughing loudly. She figured that the other girl wasn't going to admit defeat gracefully, but never did she expect her to challenge her former teammate's sexuality. It was just absurd._

"_Go ahead, and laugh all you want. When he finally admits that he's gay, I'm going to say, 'I told you so,'" Ino flippantly responded, appearing to be very much done with the conversation. Sakura took her advice and laughed some more, before finally calming down and wiping the tears from her eyes._

"_Okay, and when it's proven that he's straight, I want you to admit that you're wrong, and that there are some guys even you can't have," she said in challenge. Ino looked to be considering it for a moment, before she flashed a wicked smirk._

"_Fine, but let's make it a little more interesting. The 38th Annual Ninja Ball is in three weeks. If you bring Sasuke as your date, AND get him to… let's say, kiss you, then I will admit that I was wrong. __**But,**__ if you fail, then you must not only admit that Sasuke is gay, but also that I'm more attractive than you," she proposed. She knew that what she was requesting was impossible, so there was no way she could lose. She just had to get Sakura on board, which was going to be difficult._

"_Ino, that's childish. Besides, I'm not about to mess up my friendship with Sasuke just for a stupid bet," Sakura responded with heat. She was all for friendly competition, but this was going too far. Ino knew it, too._

"_Okay, okay. I figured the kiss was pushing it, so how about just the date? Sasuke may be a tough nut to crack, but he was a member of your team. That has to count for something," she quickly compromised. Sakura briefly looked at her distrustfully, before smiling broadly. _

"_It's a deal," she said as she extended her hand, and Ino quickly grabbed it. They glared mildly at each other for a second, before shaking on it, and then parting ways. Ino walked off feeling accomplished, while Sakura worried about what she had gotten herself into._

'Why did I let it go so far? I knew it was stupid, but I went along with it anyway. If Tsunade could see me now,' Sakura contemplated as she recalled the events of the past three weeks. Hindsight was an amazing thing.

'_I hope this goes smoothly,' Sakura thought as she knocked on Sasuke's door. It was a little early, but she knew he would be awake. Besides, she had a better chance of catching him in a good mood now, than waiting until later. It was almost guaranteed that someone would have pissed him off by the afternoon._

'_Come on, Sasuke. Don't tell you you've already left,' she mentally groaned. But, before long, shuffling was heard inside, and the Uchiha appeared._

"_I know Kakashi hasn't summonsed me this early, so I'm guessing you're here for another reason," Sasuke stated as he leaned against his doorframe. Sakura instantly noticed his wet hair and naked torso, which caused a few of her brainwaves to be disrupted. But, always the professional, she quickly looked away. _

"_Well, I did have something I wanted to ask, but I didn't mean to interrupt. I can always come back later," she said with averted eyes. Sasuke looked at her briefly, and then shrugged, before heading back inside. After not hearing a reply, Sakura looked in the direction where the boy was previously standing, and realized he was gone. However, the door was still open, which was his version of an invitation. _

'_Well, so far so good,' Sakura thought as she slipped off her shoes, and then stepped inside. She had been in this house many times over the last few months, but the occasion made her feel uncomfortable. She was about to open herself up for rejection, and if history repeats itself, she was going to leave with a sour taste in her mouth._

"_There's tea in the kitchen, if you want it," Sasuke offered as she appeared before him. He then sat on his couch, and began to feverously dry his hair with a towel. Once he was satisfied with his work, he rested the damp cloth on his shoulder, and turned his full attention to his visitor. Sakura gazed into his piercing eyes, and then gave herself a little pep talk._

'_Go ahead and get this over with. It's just Sasuke, and you're only asking him to escort you to the ball. You're not asking to have his child,' she firmly told herself, before letting out a deep breath and plowing ahead._

"_Thanks, but no thanks for the tea; I won't be here for long. I just came to see, if you had a date for the ball. If not, would you like to go with me?" she blurted out a little more quickly than she would have liked; however, not once did her voice waiver or squeak. So, for the most part, she appeared to be relatively calm. Now, she just had to maintain it as she received her answer._

"_I doubt that I'll be going," Sasuke finally replied, after thoroughly dissecting her for several long moments. Visibly, Sakura looked no different, but internally, she had quickly deflated. She was ninety-nine point nine percent sure that she was going to get that answer, or something similar to it. But, that one hundredth of a percent was hoping for something different._

"_Oh okay, I was just…" she began, but Sasuke wasn't finished._

"_But, if I decide to go, I'll go with you," he continued, and Sakura immediately stopped talking. For a moment, she wasn't sure that she had heard him clearly, but as she replayed the words, she couldn't deny it. Sasuke Uchiha had said he would go out with her. It wasn't a proposal, but it was a hell of a lot more than what was offered to her over the years._

"_So, it's a date?" she asked bewilderedly. Certainly, he would balk at the d-word, and set her straight. But, to her surprise, he just gave her a half smile, before resting his head on the back of his couch._

From that day on, the little bet had gotten more serious. Sakura went out and used a large chunk of her savings to purchase a new outfit with the accessories to match. She also cut back on her overtime to have more free time with Sasuke. And, though it was only mildly noticeable, she was giddier, and her eyes appeared to sparkle with a little of that old hope she held as a child. Most people passed it off as a good mood, but Ino was not most people.

"_Sakura, don't you think you're going a little overboard? You don't still have feelings for Sasuke, do you?" Ino asked worriedly as Sakura revealed her very expensive ensemble. She saw first-hand how badly Sakura reacted the first time she had her heart broken, and she didn't want to see a repeat. But, Sakura wasn't as concerned._

"_Oh, come on! That old crush is over and done with. I'm just trying to look good for when you finally admit that you're not all that," she offhandedly replied as she checked herself out in the mirror. Ino stood behind her, viewing her through the mirror as well. She knew just how hard it was for girls to get over elusive guys. Women were used to being pursued, not being in pursuit, so when a man got away, it was a tough pill to swallow. Any chance to correct the score was hard to pass up._

"_Sakura, I'm serious. If you think you're falling for him again, then we can just call everything off. It was just a stupid bet anyway," Ino tried once more. She was starting to feel guilty, and really didn't want this disaster on her conscience. But, Sakura warded her off again._

"_Ha! Now that I'm about to win, you want to call it off? No way! I'll see you at the ball," she confidently countered. Ino shot her an exasperated look._

"_Fine, I'll see you there," she responded as she walked out of Sakura's house with her head held high, and her nose in the air. However, for the first time she was hoping, for her friend's sake, that she lost._

'Sakura, you're such an idiot,' Ino thought sadly as she openly stared at the girl. Sakura felt eyes on her, so she turned and was met with her friend's gaze. For a brief second, her pain was visible, but she swiftly masked it. Unfortunately, Ino had already seen it, and was making her way over.

"Hey, what are you doing over here, when the party is over there?" she asked once she made it to her target. Sakura didn't even acknowledge her. So, with a tired sigh, Ino switched tactics.

"I guess that arrogant bastard didn't show, huh?" she stated more so than questioned. She then sat down, and bumped her shoulder against Sakura's, before speaking again.

"Who cares? It's his lost. We're the two most fabulous girls in here," she assured. Sakura finally gave her some attention by bumping her back.

"You're right, we are the two most amazing girls, but I'm still number one," she said with a half smile. Ino gave a fierce glare, before the banter was on. Then, as quickly as it started, it dissolved into a fit of giggles as the two girls rested their foreheads together.

"Hey, let's go find Shikamaru, before he falls asleep. I could use some help keeping him awake," Ino joked. Sakura looked to be considering it, before she lightly shook her head.

"Nah, I think I'll sit here a little longer," she softly replied. Ino's smile dropped a bit, but she conceded by nodding her head.

"Okay, at least have a drink," she said as she handed over her own glass of bubbly champagne. Sakura took it, and swallowed a few sips, before giving the other girl a reassuring look. Ino met her gaze, and appeared to have something else to say, but decided against it, and walked off instead. That gave Sakura the freedom to return to her pity party, which she quickly did. She knew that she was being foolish, but she wanted to remember what this moment felt like, so that she would never repeat it again.

'Some things never change,' she thought as she took a large gulp of sparkling wine. Unbeknownst to her, Naruto was watching, and thinking something similar.

'Damn it, Sasuke! Wait until I find you,' he thought as he snuck out of the hall. He had been looking for him all day, but now he was almost sure that the other boy was in hiding.

'If I was Sasuke, where would I be?' he pondered as he scanned the Uchiha district. That proved to be fruitless, so he moved on to the training grounds. Unsurprisingly, the boy was there and repeatedly striking a dummy. Naruto watched for a few moments, before walking up to him. Oddly, Sasuke didn't seem to notice him.

"Hey," Naruto said as he rested a hand on his friend's shoulder. Instantly, fist went flying, and only Naruto's quick reflexes stopped him from getting a pair of black eyes.

"What gives?" he exclaimed as he landed on a high tree branch. Meanwhile, astonishment was being openly displayed on Sasuke's face. He had been caught unawares, which was unacceptable. So, he chose not to acknowledge that flaw, and went back to his training.

"What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be at the ball?" he asked nonchalantly as he delivered a high kick to the wooden man's chest. Naruto still had a look of shock on his face, but that quickly shifted to anger.

"Shouldn't I be asking you that?" he countered as he landed next to the Uchiha. At first, he was going to be nice about it, but now he was ready to drag the boy to the hall while he was kicking and screaming, if he had to.

"How dare you stand up Sakura only to come train! She's been waiting for you all of this time, and you're out here," he accused. Sasuke didn't stop his assault, but it did slow down.

"That's not my problem. I told her I might not show. She should have had a back up date," he responded dismissively, never once meeting the other boy's gaze. Naruto decided that he had heard enough, so he pinned Sasuke against the same dummy he had been striking. He then got up in his face, and realized that something was wrong. Gone were the arrogance and fire that was usually associated with the Uchiha, and replaced with utter dejection. Naruto quickly released him as though he had been burned. Something wasn't right.

"Sasuke, what's going on?" he asked as he watched him, intently. The other boy just started gathering his things, before throwing an, "It doesn't concern you," over his shoulder. He then started walking away, but Naruto appeared in front of him.

"Give it a rest. We've already established that your business is my business, so you might as well tell me," he rebutted, and Sasuke looked slightly taken aback. He then tried to go around him, but Naruto invaded that space as well.

"I can get really annoying when I try," he warned, and Sasuke frowned. They had a short glare match, but Naruto wound up having more willpower this time. So, Sasuke conceded by letting his temper flare.

"Damn it, why can't you just leave me alone? Why can't everybody leave me alone? If it's not Sakura asking for dates, I have you interfering in my business. If it's not you, then Kakashi is sending me to therapy. If it's not him, then the **new** council is trying to preserve my bloodline. Everybody wants something from me, regardless as to what I want. It's always the same in this village. Nothing ever fucking changes," he shouted, and Naruto slowly digested what he heard. He knew that it hadn't been particularly easy for Sasuke to reintegrate, but never did he think his own inner circle was a part of the problem.

"Sasuke, the only reason I butt in is because I want to make sure that you're not going through this alone. I've been alone for most of my life, and I know that it's painful. Sakura tries to get you to hang out with her, because she wants you to feel like you can depend on her. She trained so hard so that she could be strong for you. Kakashi watches over you, because he wants to make sure you're not falling backwards. When you left last time, he blamed himself. And the council, they…," he explained, before coming to an abrupt stop. He had no idea where the council fit in the equation, but he was about to find out.

"Wait a minute, what do you mean the council is trying to preserve your bloodline?" he asked curiously. He was aware that the older generations were mumbling about the prospect of new Uchiha, but he didn't think that they were directly putting pressure on Sasuke to deliver them. Apparently, judging by his friend's reaction, he was wrong.

"Sa…" he was about to prod again, but the boy had already given in.

"When Kakashi was appointed hokage, he really stuck his neck out for me," he began with a sigh. Naruto listened attentively to every word.

"He negotiated so that I wouldn't have to be imprisoned, wear a leash, or be put on probation. All I had to do was attend therapy. But, a few weeks ago, several members of the council approached me. They felt that Kakashi was too lenient, so if I didn't take responsibility for my actions, they would oust him," he continued, and Naruto was growing angrier by the second. Not only were the council committing treason, they were also messing with two of his closest friends.

"What did they want from you?" he asked lowly, and Sasuke chose to view the stars instead of Naruto.

"They gave me an ultimatum. I could willing give them sperm samples to let them do with as they saw fit, or I could go to prison, and let Kakashi take the fall," he said bitterly. He had barely got the words out, before Naruto was fuming.

"Fuck that! We need to tell Kakashi about this right away, then they will be the ones in prison. We can't let them get away with this," he ranted as his body pulsed with the need to hit something. He couldn't believe that there were still people like that in his village. It seemed like the corruption ran too deep to end. But, that wouldn't stop him from fighting it. With Sasuke and Kakashi's help, he was going to put an end to this.

"Let's go," he said as he started marching towards the hokage's tower. But, after walking ahead about ten paces, he realized that the Uchiha hadn't moved.

"Why are you just standing there? We have work to do," he shouted as he stared at the boy, oddly. He then remembered the way his eyes looked earlier, and the tirade that followed. He also thought about how he was so withdrawn that he had lost touch with his surroundings. It all pointed to one thing. Naruto just needed confirmation.

"Where were you earlier today? I searched the entire village for hours, and couldn't find you. So, where did you go?" he asked firmly, not taking his eyes off of the boy. Just like he expected, Sasuke stiffened, before relinquishing his view of the sky in favor of the darkness his eyelids provided. That was all Naruto needed to see. He may not have been the brightest crayon in the box, but he was a genius when it came to all things Sasuke.

"Those sons of bitches," he yelled, before punching a poor, unsuspecting tree. The branches quaked in protest, but they didn't deter him from striking a few more times. He needed to release some of his rage in order to think straight.

'Why can't they understand that we're people, and not just tools?' he thought as he struck, and leaves landed all around him. He then took a calming breath, before speaking again.

"We have to go steal those samples, before they start using them. All you have to do is lead the way," he said as a burst a wind filled the pregnant pause that followed. At first, he thought the boy wasn't going to say anything, but after several seconds, he spoke.

"What good would that do? They'll just collect some more. Besides, I said I wanted to repopulate the Uchiha clan. This is probably the most efficient way," Sasuke replied with an air of finality. He appeared to have accepted his fate, but Naruto just couldn't imagine seeing kids walking through the village, and constantly wondering, if they're yours. Or, even worse, knowing that they're yours, and not being able to interact with them.

"Sasuke, there has to be another way," he pleaded, but the boy didn't want to hear it.

"It's already been decided," he quickly responded. Naruto tried to wrap his mind around the "decided" concept, but just couldn't do it. His whole mantra was about bringing change to the ninja world, so having the council get away with this violated his sense of justice.

"Fine, if they want some samples so bad, how about I go and swap out mine for yours? I know they'd just love that," he schemed connivingly. Seeing the looks on the council member's faces when a bunch of mini Naruto were born would be worth it, in his book. Sasuke didn't agree.

"You wouldn't," he said as his look turned calculating. He couldn't believe that anyone would willingly put themselves through that. But, obviously Naruto wasn't just anyone.

"Hell yeah, I would! I always wanted a big family. Now's the perfect chance to get a clan of Uzumaki around here," he proudly stated. He could just see a tribe of people with blonde hair and blue eyes that all shared his last name. Sasuke could see it, too. He envisioned some tall Naruto, short ones, skinny ones, fat ones, female ones and everything else in between. So, by the time he was done, he was a lot paler than usual. Sure, he loved his friend, but he could barely deal with the one. What would he do with dozens of them?

"I forbid you from reproducing. Your plan would not only punish the council, but the entire village. We do have civilians here, you know," he finally stated in utter seriousness. Naruto gaped at him for a second, before he released his temper.

"You jackass! I'm trying to help you, but you turn around and insult me? Fine, I'm going to have twice as many kids just because you said not to. Oh, and be prepared to do some babysitting, because I'm making you the godfather," he retorted as he pinned his friend with a glare. Sasuke wasn't the least bit fazed.

"Good luck finding someone to carry them," he casually replied, as he gave a bored look. Naruto was about ready to challenge him to a "friendly" match, but stopped once he noticed the playful smirk that had appeared on the boy's face. It wasn't at its normal level of arrogance, but it was a far cry from the lost look he sported earlier. So, with a simple "whatever," Naruto refocused his vision on the forest around them.

For a few minutes, the boys stood in a comfortable silence as the autumn wind sang in the background. They were both lost in their thoughts, but each was thinking about the other. Naruto was just happy to be standing in his best friend's presence without there being bloodshed. For a long time, he thought that wouldn't be possible. So, now that he could, he was going to make sure that no one took that privilege away from him again, even if he had to take on some higher ups. On the other side, Sasuke was thinking about how nice it was to not have to stand alone. Ironically, he resented how he always lived for everything except for his own happiness, but now he gladly stood in a village that he distrusted for the guy standing next to him. He valued his other friends, but the blonde idiot was his number one.

"Naruto, tell Sakura I'm sorry, but I was busy. I'll make it up to her some other time," he spoke softly after a while. At first, Naruto was surprised by his words, and this showed when he whipped around to look at the boy. But, then he thought about how much Sasuke had changed since he had come back. Sure, he was still an asshole, but he did put in the effort to be more forthcoming with his thoughts and feelings. He didn't know if that came with therapy, or with the fact that he was just growing up, but it was a welcome change.

"Don't worry about it. A few minutes with me, and she'll forget all about you. Remember, I can be very annoying when I try to be," Naruto said jokingly, as he grinned. The last bit of his response caught Sasuke off guard, so a quiet laugh bubbled from his throat. He then turned to his friend with a self-assured look.

"As though I didn't already know that," he said with a true smile, before he turned to walk off. Naruto watched him leave, and mumbled a quiet "bastard" under his breath. He then had to refocus on the matter at hand.

'I swore I wouldn't do this again, but this is the only way to make them both happy,' Naruto thought as he transformed into Sasuke. He then made sure that everything was in place, before he sped back to the great hall. The moment he got there, he realized that at least half of the people had already left, but Sakura was still sitting in the same chair at the same table.

'Okay, here goes nothing,' he said to himself as he sauntered over to her. Initially, she didn't notice him, because she was busy with her third glass of champagne. But, the moment she did, her eyes widened considerably. Naruto wanted to smile, but thought better of it, and changed it into a smirk.

"Hey, you weren't waiting for me were you?" he asked as he extended his arm. Sakura, still in her state of shock, grasped his hand a little robotically, but Naruto wasted no time pulling her into his arms, and leading her onto the dance floor.

Sakura looked around to see if a bunch of people were staring at her, but once her gaze fell on Ino, she stopped her scan. Her friend was a little surprised at what was going on, but simply lifted her wine glass in acknowledgement, before giving a smile. This caused Sakura to relax, so she could keep in step. There wasn't any music playing, so she had to rely on her own rhythm. Naruto had to worry about rhythm and everything else.

'Man, why is Shikamaru staring at me so hard?' he thought as a set of eyes followed him at every turn. He then looked around, and realized that several members of the Hyuuga clan were present as well. One byakugan, and the jig was up.

'I've got to get out of here,' Naruto thought distractedly. Of course this caused him to step on Sakura's feet, but surprisingly, she just pulled him closer, and took over the lead. At this, Naruto let out a sigh of relief, before finishing off the dance without a hitch.

"Let's go outside," he suggested, and Sakura complied without complaint. They made their way to the door, and Naruto just couldn't shake the feeling that the entire hall was staring at him. So, when a burst of fresh air greeted them, he was relieved. However, it didn't last long, because Sakura rested her head on his shoulder, and grasped his hand.

'I'm doing this for her, but I feel guilty leading her on,' he thought as he stared at their intertwined hands. He had to cut the night short, but make Sasuke look good at the same time.

'What do I say? What do I say?' he searched his mind for the answer. For some reason, he could always get into things effortlessly, but couldn't get out of them with the same ease. He would just have to wing it.

"I'm sorry for not being here earlier," he finally spoke, all the while thinking of a good excuse. But, before he could come up with one, Sakura responded.

"I'm sure you had something more important to do," she said as she squeezed his hand. Naruto thought of what Sasuke was doing earlier, and couldn't keep the sadness from showing up on his face.

"Yeah," he mumbled quietly as he stared at the ground. This worried Sakura a bit, but she chose not to question any further. Her night had turned out a lot better than she believed it would have, so she wasn't going to ask for more.

"Thank you for being here," she said as she kissed his cheek. Naruto stiffened, before a blush covered his face, but he didn't react further. At the moment, he wasn't himself.

'What would Sasuke do?' he thought quickly, but was drawing blanks. Sakura was still looking at him, and smiling, so he was beginning to panic.

'I've got to end this charade, before she figures out it's me. She'll kill me, if she knew that it wasn't Sasuke she kissed,' he concluded. There was only one thing he could do.

"Well, I'm glad you had a good time. I'll see you tomorrow," he said as he began to walk off. The suddenness of it surprised Sakura, so she just watched him with wide eyes. But, after a few seconds, her smile returned.

"Good night, Sasuke," she called after him, and Naruto stopped and gave her a wave. He then started walking again, but quickly stopped. Something seemed to be plaguing him, and Sakura had a good idea of what it was.

"Don't worry, come tomorrow, I'll act like nothing happened. I know you have an image to maintain," she said, and surprise decorated Naruto's face. He was wondering what would happen when Sasuke and Sakura ran into each other again, but apparently, tonight was his lucky night.

"Thanks for understanding," he said as he rubbed the back of his neck. He then remembered he was supposed to be Sasuke, and let his arm fall quickly. Sakura didn't seem to be alerted, so he just considered it more good luck, and continued on his way.

'I'm glad I could help,' he thought as he released the jutsu once he was out of sight. Unbeknownst to him, Sakura heard the pop, and giggled at his antics. The truth was, the moment she had calmed down, she knew that it was him. She was the top medic nin in the village, and a chuunin, so a simple transformation wasn't going to fool her. But, since he put in so much effort, she decided to play along.

'All of those hours I spent teaching you how to dance, and you're still stepping on your partner's feet,' she thought as she remembered that whole fiasco. It seemed like no matter how far she moved away from the boy, he would find her toes, and dance on them instead of the floor. Needless to say, he suffered from a few blows. But, no matter how much he irritated and infuriated her, he remained her crutch, and she truly loved him for that.

"Thank you… Naruto," she said with a smile, before heading back inside.

_**~Fin~**_


End file.
